Latest News

Recent News

Cowboys SS Barry Church (forearm) is on track to return Thursday against the Vikings.

Church is back after missing the last month with a broken forearm. He's practiced fully the last two days and should resume his role as the starting strong safety. It's convenient timing with J.J. Wilcox nursing a bruised thigh he suffered in last week's win over Washington. Church will wear a protective sleeve to cover the scar on his right arm. Nov 29 - 11:16 AM

Church is right on time for his return after suffering a broken forearm in late October. He could be held out this week with the Cowboys playing on Thursday night, but he should be back in the lineup soon. Church's return will be a big boost for the secondary. Nov 28 - 11:46 AM

Barry Church (forearm) expects to return against the Vikings in Week 13.

Church is still recovering from a broken forearm he suffered last month. The Cowboys' secondary has been playing shorthanded without Church and Morris Claiborne (groin) the past several weeks. J.J. Wilcox has been filling in for Church at strong safety. Nov 20 - 10:30 AM

Player News

Church is right on time for his return after suffering a broken forearm in late October. He could be held out this week with the Cowboys playing on Thursday night, but he should be back in the lineup soon. Church's return will be a big boost for the secondary.

Barry Church (forearm) expects to return against the Vikings in Week 13.

Church is still recovering from a broken forearm he suffered last month. The Cowboys' secondary has been playing shorthanded without Church and Morris Claiborne (groin) the past several weeks. J.J. Wilcox has been filling in for Church at strong safety.

EVP Stephen Jones said Church likely will not need surgery, but it is a still a big blow to a secondary which also lost CB Morris Claiborne to a potentially serious groin injury Sunday night. The defense has played surprisingly well this season, but DC Rod Marinelli will have to work some more magic over the next month.

Cowboys S Barry Church suffered a broken arm Sunday night against the Eagles.

EVP Stephen Jones said he fractured his forearm. The injury is likely not season ending, but it will knock him out for several weeks. Dallas also lost resurgent CB Morris Claiborne to a potential groin tear Sunday night. The defense has played surprisingly well this season, but losing both Church and Claiborne would be a massive blow.

Cowboys FS Barry Church led all defensive backs with 135 total tackles in the regular season.

It was a breakout season for the fourth-year man out of Toledo, as he topped his previous career-high by over 100 tackles. The Cowboys' suspect linebacker situation for most of the season certainly helped Church's total. We expect to see regression with a healthy Sean Lee back in the fold.

At 6'2/220, Church has spent his career as an in-the-box strong safety and situational nickel linebacker. Although new DC Monte Kiffin's scheme calls for interchangeable safeties, shifting Church to free safety is a reminder of the Cowboys' weakness and lack of depth. They'll head into camp with the trio of Will Allen, Matt Johnson and J.J. Wilcox competing to start opposite Church. The latter two have yet to play an NFL snap.

Church, who tore his Achilles' last September, was fully cleared to participate in OTAs and minicamp earlier this month, so he should be 100 percent healthy well before training camp. Church isn't facing much competition for the starting job, but the free safety spot next to him is up for the taking.

Cowboys SS Barry Church (Achilles) has been fully cleared, and is running with the starters in OTAs.

"He looked like the same guy we saw last year before we lost him to the injury," DBs coach Jerome Henderson said Tuesday. "He’s moving around extremely well. I just hope he continues on the path he’s on." As of now, Church and Matt Johnson are the Cowboys' starting safeties. Injuries limited them to a combined 108 snaps last season, zero of which were played by Johnson.

The Cowboys should hope so, seeing as they signed Church to a four-year, $12.4 million extension even after he tore the Achilles'. Church has resumed running and is expected to battle Matt Johnson in camp to start at strong safety.

Church is on injured reserve after tearing his right Achilles' tendon in September, but the Cowboys were aiming to extend him before he went down, and are following through on their word. Church would have been a restricted free agent in the offseason, and is now signed through 2016. An on-the-rise, in-the-box safety before his injury, Church is still only 24, and should be healthy for camp and ready to reclaim his starting job.

The Cowboys offered SS Barry Church a contract extension before he tore his right Achilles' tendon at the end of September.

The details of the extension are unknown, but Dallas was trying to lock Church up for the next couple of seasons. Church's agent didn't respond to the offer, so it was never turned down or countered. He is making $540,000 in 2012 and is scheduled to become a restricted free agent after the season. It's highly unlikely that the Cowboys' extension offer still stands after the injury. Church may still be in Dallas' long-term plans, however.

Darren McFadden (elbow, NFI) said he'll need another week before he's ready for game action.

McFadden has been practicing with the Cowboys' scout team this week. All signs point to him returning against the Buccaneers in Week 15. McFadden won't have any fantasy significance playing behind Ezekiel Elliott and Alfred Morris.

Dez Bryant caught 4-of-6 targets for 84 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys' Week 13 win over the Vikings.

Bryant almost scored a 57-yard touchdown in the second quarter, but couldn't quite get to the goal line. He fell corralling a just-south-of-perfect pass from Dak Prescott. Bryant was wide open after burning S Harrison Smith. Bryant's score was an eight-yarder where the Vikings confusingly gave him a massive cushion. Looking more on the same page with Dak Prescott each week, Bryant is averaging 88 yards over his past four games. He'll be a WR1 against Janoris Jenkins and the Giants next Sunday.

Smith missed Thursday's practice, but he said it was a planned day of rest. Smith missed Weeks 3 and 4 before returning for last Sunday's win over the Bengals. He should be good to go against the Packers.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the team expects LG Ronald Leary (concussion) to play this week.

Leary exited Week 9 to be evaluated for a concussion in the fourth quarter and never returned. It is still not clear if he was placed in the concussion protocol, but Jones' optimism suggests he avoided injury. Joe Looney replaced Leary on Sunday.

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett wouldn't give a timetable for RT Doug Free's return from foot surgery but said he doesn't "anticipate him missing very much time."

"We think he’s going to be healthy as we go here," said Garrett. Free also underwent foot surgery last offseason. He went on to start all 16 games for the Cowboys. The nine-year veteran should be ready in time for training camp.